SUSTAINABILITY

Our organisational strategy has included a strong focus on sustainability since the start of the Next Generation Programme in 2016 funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands. Our goal is for our digital communities to become fully locally owned by partnering with other organisations or finding a host, financially independent and able to maintain and maximise impact after our funding cycles end. This is essential to ensure they can produce the best results over the long term and to make a substantive contribution to strengthening civil society in restrictive settings.

Love Matters Global Network

To build the sustainability of the SRHR programme, RNW Media created the Love Matters global network, based on a social franchise model. Under this model, independent partners take full responsibility for nurturing a vibrant Love Matters community of young people. The first platform to start working as part of the global network in 2018 was Hablemos de Sexo y Amor (Love Matters Mexico) which was handed over to national SRHR organisation, Mexico Vivo. In the last quarter of 2019, the local foundation in India, Development Corporation, took over Love Matters India. Both platforms continue to use the Love Matters pleasure-positive approach and apply the global branding.

A replicable model for Citizens’ Voice

The sustainability model for the Citizens’ Voice projects is currently in development. We are documenting and analysing the strategies, techniques and tools Citizens’ Voice platforms use to deliver impact. In 2019 the ‘Building Engaged Digital Communities’ roadmap was completed. This work is funded through the Swedish Postcode Foundation. In 2020, we will continue to standardise the core building blocks of the Citizens’ Voice programme to create a model to replicate and scale impact for work on social cohesion and inclusive governance.